Western Railroad Discussion > Montana Youth plan to protest coal trains....

link
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2011/12/12/montana-youth-call-for-a-weekend-of-action-against-coal-exports/

Another enviro who hasnt done their homework because if they had they would know how "green" shipping by rail is. I dont understand how these people have all this free time to do this stuff. Yesterday the occupy Portland people blocked T-5 and T-6 in protest of the companies who operate there. Many people who work there were turned away as their employer felt it wasnt safe for them. They were sent home without pay, thanks occupy Portland.

GN599 Wrote:
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> Another enviro who hasnt done their homework
> because if they had they would know how "green"
> shipping by rail is. I dont understand how these
> people have all this free time to do this stuff.

There not protesting the trains, or use of trains, there protesting the lading, how and where it's used.

ats90mph Wrote:
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> There not protesting the trains, or use of trains,
> there protesting the lading, how and where it's
> used.

If you would have read the article, they are also bitching about diesel fumes, noise, and congestion from the trains themselves, too. What they don't realize is that if the railroads didn't haul coal they would find a way to derive that revenue and burn diesel anyway. How many of these protesters do you think carpool to the rendezvous points? My guess is not as many as they would probably claim. And who are they to say we can't export coal to a 3rd world country? Shouldn't they be happy it's not burning at their local power plant?

Burning coal is the cleanest it's ever been, and it's getting cleaner, and there's no alternative yet that could replace it, regardless of what anybody says about solar panels and windmills. Until they can make the wind blow during peak usage hours (which are in the middle of the day when the wind typically doesn't blow as hard), it's not helping very much.

Pump

GN599 Wrote:
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> I dont understand how these
> people have all this free time to do this stuff.

They went to college, majored in French literature, cinema, or medieval languages, nothing that anybody would pay them for, now can't find a job, so they have plenty of free time.

And some may become future railroad management if and when they mature!?? Doubtful...

Coal is the enemy to many of the environmental groups, followed closely by all other carbon based fuels like natural gas, oil, etc. Globalism is also an enemy, destroying indigenous people's societies, jobs, culture, etc and infecting them with iPads, vaccines, education for women, etc.

Railroads carrying coal to export terminals for shipments to Asia etc are a perfect way to protest all these evils in one place.

(I don't agree with this, of course, but it is useful to understand your opponent's frame of reference and motivations. I'm sure UP, BNSF, Maersk etc have smart people trying to figure ways to minimize the risks the OWS / anarchists etc present to the carriers.)

Being an old retired "fart", I am assuming these occupy characters don't have jobs of their own, so they have all this free time to distrupt the livelihood of those who do. I seem to remember in the past history of this country that during the depression years, there were many jobs who were created by the government and they not only employed people, but they did many projects that enhanced living in America. Point is, these "occupy guys and gals" are not really contributing anything to the betterment of society or the country. They just want to be "seen" making their statements that really say nothing.

Too bad America has come to this.

Bob

Bob Miller
Kansas City, KS

atsfmodeler Wrote:
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> Being an old retired "fart", I am assuming these
> occupy characters don't have jobs of their own, so
> they have all this free time to distrupt the
> livelihood of those who do. I seem to remember in
> the past history of this country that during the
> depression years, there were many jobs who were
> created by the government and they not only
> employed people, but they did many projects that
> enhanced living in America. Point is, these
> "occupy guys and gals" are not really contributing
> anything to the betterment of society or the
> country. They just want to be "seen" making their
> statements that really say nothing.
>
> Too bad America has come to this.
>
> Bob


The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration both recruited large number of kids (mostly boys and young men) to blaze trails in National Forests, help with building roads like the Skyline Drive in Virginia and the roads in Glacier Park, etc. Much of their salary was forcibly taken and sent home, where it was desperately needed. John Steinbeck wrote about his work on the Coastal Highway in Oregon, for example.

Safety, insurance and Davis-Bacon rules wouldn't allow today's kids to be operating saws, downing trees, hauling rock, etc.

One of the higher ups at the coal fired power plant I work at once said, "I would love to give all those environmentalists that don't have clue, what they want for a month. After that month, they would all be running around naked, cold, and hungry, because they wouldn't know what to do without electricity."

Posted from iPhone

This is America, land of the free. They are free to protest, we are free to disagree. I wouldn't want it any other way. As for the protesters not having jobs, I'm sure you know the economy is in a depression, er, my mistake, recession, so jobs are hard to come by. Ask the millions out of work. Yes, they can flip burgers at McDonald's, but I talking about a living wage.

Entry level jobs will never be "livable". You get that wage when you have experience to offer your employer! That goes for Mc Donalds or BNSF or Delta Air.

MRL is parking a number of Roberts Bank loads in case the terminal is blocked by protestors.

needles_sub Wrote:
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> This is America, land of the free. They are free
> to protest, we are free to disagree. I wouldn't
> want it any other way. As for the protesters not
> having jobs, I'm sure you know the economy is in a
> depression, er, my mistake, recession, so jobs are
> hard to come by. Ask the millions out of work.
> Yes, they can flip burgers at McDonald's, but I
> talking about a living wage.

We saw on TO a couple of days ago a picture of a train going past the "man camps" in the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota. I understand that unemployment is low there, and they are looking for workers; probably pay a decent wage, too. Trouble is, oil field work is real work, and probably less fun than protesting trains . . .

needles_sub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is America, land of the free. They are free
> to protest, we are free to disagree. I wouldn't
> want it any other way. As for the protesters not
> having jobs, I'm sure you know the economy is in a
> depression, er, my mistake, recession, so jobs are
> hard to come by. Ask the millions out of work.
> Yes, they can flip burgers at McDonald's, but I
> talking about a living wage.

EVERYBODY has the right to protest. NOBODY has the right to block and disrupt legal commerce. Arrest them, run over them, shoot them, who cares? Not me. As an aside, a good friend of mine took one of those McDonald's jobs years ago, worked her way up from the drive up window, eventually oversaw three stores, had a company car and made twice what I did in a "good job". Now that she is married and has two small children, she manages one store and still makes quite a bit more than me. The value in a job is best measured by the person who does it.

ddkid Wrote:
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> GN599 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I dont understand how these
> > people have all this free time to do this
> stuff.
>
> They went to college, majored in French
> literature, cinema, or medieval languages, nothing
> that anybody would pay them for, now can't find a
> job, so they have plenty of free time.

Lol yeah thats what I was thinkin. I went railroading when was 19. It was what I always wanted to do and I take pride in being employed and doing the job the best I can all the time. Guess I am the fool. They do have the right and as a fellow American I respect that. But when these kinds of groups keep folks from working because of their disruptions I lose respect for them and their cause. In a sense they are getting greedy with their message and becoming no better than the party they are protesting.

Related thread that I hate to see get ignored by dropping off the page since there is oddly no way to leave a comment:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2634626

Add art history, sociology, and political science to the list of useless college studies. I am tempted to include law, but not quite. What railroad company needs anyone with these backgrounds, except law?

How did the demonstrations make out Tuesday? It seems like the Monday versions topped a lot of trucks and some trains, but I haven't seen anything about Tuesday.

Just the unwashed of society, too lazy to look for a job. Seen a bunch of them in Denver at the City Center Park, all asleep at 10a. Probably don't get up before Noon and then stroll down to the welfare or employment office for their check



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/11 18:51 by WAF.